Adeeko Olusegun – Masses after 8 Years

This cartoon, as one would expect, is funny. It is also tragic. Funny because it reveals how gullible Nigerian masses are. Tragic because it highlights the parasitic relationship between the masses and politicians in the country. Overall, the cartoon narrates an 8-year long story (“8 years” implies two terms in office.).

First, there is a red-capped man holding a bike pump that is inserted in the mouth of a tiny politician. This is the first encounter between both parties (the masses and politicians) and it reveals the dynamics of power relation between them. At the initial encounter, the masses seem to wield more power. This is probably the time when politicians canvass for votes. The choice of having a the man signifying the masses put on a red cap is also loaded with meanings. For one, it signifies respect. In some parts of Nigeria, only respected and highly important persons are traditionally permitted to use a red cap.

One can also see the progression of the politician from a tiny man to a big man.

The last picture in the cartoon is a reversal of the first. After 8 years, the politician has become huge – with a protruding belly (probably as a result of embezzling public wealth). The once respected man has also become a laughing stock, a mumu (Nigerian pidgin English word which means a dunce). Essentially, this cartoon reveals how deceptive Nigerian politicians are and how far they are willing to go to get what they want. Even the most respected individuals in the society become preys to their deceptions.